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1 hr
Explore Ottawa by land and river aboard a one-of-a-kind amphibious bus in just one hour.
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1 hr 30 min
Glide along the Ottawa River for 90 minutes of panoramic city views, bilingual commentary, and landmark sights.
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1 hr 30 min
Set sail on a tropical-themed tiki boat along the Ottawa River for 90 minutes of drinks, music, and scenery.
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The landmarks, rooms, and views travelers on this tour remember — all visible on a single visit.
The boat provides a tranquil perspective of Ottawa landmarks, while the bus offers a dynamic transition between land and water. They complement each other; most visitors who do both call the amphibious tour the more thrilling option for exploring Ottawa river cruise tickets tours.
| Feature | Top pick River Cruise | Amphibious Bus |
|---|---|---|
Experience Type |
Water-based sightseeing | Land and water combo |
View Perspective |
Low-angle waterway horizon | Elevated city and river views |
Movement Style |
Steady vessel navigation | Transition from road to water |
Duration |
1–1.5 hours | 1 hour |
Energy Level |
Relaxed observation | High engagement |
Price |
42 CAD (summer) | 45–55 CAD (summer) |
| See tickets → |
Verdict: Choose the boat for a peaceful journey on the water, or select the amphibious bus for a versatile tour that integrates Ottawa river cruise tickets tickets into a broader city exploration.
Choose your ticket, select your date, and reserve in under two minutes. Secure checkout handled by our verified partner.
Instant confirmation by email, with a mobile voucher you can save offline. No printing, no queuing at a collection desk.
Arrive at the entrance, show your voucher on your phone, and walk in. Most tickets include priority or skip-the-line access.
Practical details for your visit straight from our verified partners — hours, access, rules, and how to get there.
Casual and comfortable clothing is recommended. We suggest bringing a light jacket as temperatures can be cooler on the water, even in summer.
Small bags are permitted onboard. All passengers may be subject to a security check prior to boarding their Ottawa river cruise tickets tour.
Photography is encouraged throughout the duration of your Ottawa river cruise tickets tickets experience. Capture the iconic skyline views from the open upper deck.
The vessel is wheelchair accessible for non-motorized chairs via the Gatineau dock. Please contact the operator in advance to confirm specific needs for Ottawa river cruise tickets tours.
Families are welcome on all cruises. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and infants can travel in a pram or stroller on these Ottawa river cruise tickets excursions.
An onboard cash bar is available serving snacks and beverages. Personal food and drinks are typically not permitted on the Ottawa river cruise tickets boats.
Best time to go, insider tips, nearby landmarks, and the cancellation fine print — flip through to skim what matters to you.
Flexible, no hidden fees.
All ticket sales for Ottawa river cruise tickets are final and non-refundable. Please ensure your travel dates are confirmed before purchasing your sightseeing cruise ticket for 42 CAD.
The Ottawa River carried squared white pine to Quebec City for more than a century before it carried a single sightseer. Loggers called it the Grand River. Algonquin Anishinaabe people called it Kichi Sibi, the great river, and travelled it as a highway long before Étienne Brûlé followed the same water in 1610. The Chaudière Falls, once a portage obstacle, became an industrial engine. Timber barons built fortunes on the current. Ottawa river cruise tickets today trace a shoreline that is essentially a legislative and industrial biography read from water level. From the deck, the Parliament Buildings show their full Victorian Gothic profile — Thomas Fuller and Chilion Jones won the 1859 design competition, and the Library of Parliament survived the 1916 fire because a clerk closed its iron doors. The Peace Tower, completed in 1927, stands 92.2 metres. Beside it, the Supreme Court's art deco mass sits low and grey. The opposite bank belongs to Quebec. Gatineau's Canadian Museum of History, designed by Douglas Cardinal and opened in 1989, curves along the shore in sedimentary sandstone forms meant to read as glacial erosion. Between the two provinces run five interprovincial bridges, the Alexandra among them, a 1900 steel cantilever originally built for rail. An Ottawa River boat tour crosses that provincial line repeatedly in a single hour, which is one of the few places in Canada where a passenger changes jurisdiction without leaving a seat. The Rideau Canal joins the system here through eight flight locks descending 24 metres from the canal basin to the river. Lieutenant-Colonel John By oversaw their construction between 1826 and 1832 as a military supply route safe from American attack. UNESCO inscribed the canal as a World Heritage Site in 2007. The locks still operate by hand-cranked gates, the same mechanism By specified. Curated ottawa river cruise tickets tours also reach the Interprovincial Zipline and amphibious bus routes, but the water remains the organising idea. The river is 1,271 kilometres long and drains 146,300 square kilometres. Ottawa exists because of it: Bytown was a construction camp, and the capital designation came in 1857 when Queen Victoria chose a defensible town on a defensible river. Standard adult sightseeing cruise fare is 42 CAD.
"Ottawa exists because of the river, not beside it."
A step-by-step walkthrough of the visit — what you'll see, how long each stage takes, and the details that matter.
You reach 1 Canal Lane and find the dock below the Ottawa Locks, where the Rideau Canal steps down toward the water. Arrive between 09:00 and 18:00; early morning and late afternoon sailings give the best light and cooler air. Staff scan your mobile voucher at the gangway, and boarding for the Paula D begins roughly fifteen minutes before departure. You take the upper deck if you want photographs and the covered lower deck if the wind is up. The boat pulls out and turns west. Within four minutes Parliament Hill fills the frame — you count the copper roofs, then the Peace Tower clock face. The commentary names the Supreme Court, the Bank of Canada, the old E.B. Eddy mills on the Quebec side. You pass under the Portage Bridge. Gatineau's museum unfolds in curves to starboard. At the turn near the Chaudière, you feel the current push against the hull and hear the engine change note. On the return leg you watch ziplines cross overhead between the two provinces. Your ottawa river cruise tickets tour ends where it began, at the foot of the lock flight, and you climb the stairs back into Major's Hill Park. Standard adult fare on the sightseeing sailing is 42 CAD. Ottawa river cruise tickets tickets are checked once, at the dock, and nowhere else.
The standard adult sightseeing cruise ticket price is 42 CAD.
Yes, wheelchair access is available specifically via the Gatineau dock for the Ottawa Boat Cruise.
Bring your ticket, a camera, and a light jacket for your Ottawa river cruise tickets experience.
Yes, a cash bar is available on the ship to purchase snacks and drinks during your Ottawa Boat Cruise.
Departures are available from 1 Canal Lane in Ottawa or the Hull Marina in Gatineau for Ottawa river cruise tickets.
All sales are final, and reservations for Ottawa river cruise tickets cannot be rescheduled or refunded.
You will see Parliament Hill, the Rideau Falls, and the Supreme Court during your Ottawa river cruise tickets tour.
The Ottawa Boat Cruise operates daily from 09:00–19:00.
Yes, children are welcome on Ottawa river cruise tickets tours but must be accompanied by an adult.